“I think they’ve learned their lesson.”
Former Ireland rugby international Willie John McBride has urged Ulster Rugby to welcome Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding back into the team.
Jackson and Olding were acquitted of raping a 19-year-old woman in June 2016.
Following the verdict, Ulster Rugby and the IRFU issued a statement confirming that Jackson and Olding would not return to action until they had completed their own internal review.
“This has been a very sad affair. For this bunch of young people, when alcohol came in common sense went out,” McBride said on RTÉ’s Today with Sean O’Rourke programme.
“They have come through a very difficult few months. They were tried on TV, they were tried in the press. They were found not guilty, now people are saying get out (of rugby), that’s totally unfair.”
“These young people are going to regret this for the rest of their lives.”
“I think they’ve learned their lesson. They issued an apology. It’s time to get back to doing what they do best, which is play rugby.”
“We’ve all sinned at some time in the past, got involved in silly things. It’s very sad and silly that they got involved in these things. Obviously it was very wrong.”
McBride, who played 63 times for Ireland between 1962-75, expressed dismay at how the players had been vilified on social media even after a not guilty verdict was returned.
McBride’s comments come as the Belfast Telegraph ran an advertisement calling for Jackson and Olding to be reinstated for both club and country. The advertisement comes a week after a different ad appeared in the newspaper, which said the duo should never represent Ulster or Ireland again.
The ad calling for Jackson and Olding to resume their playing duties said: “What is reprehensible is the extent of the social media backlash aimed at incriminating men unanimously acquitted of any crime.”
“We are fed up with this cyber persecution. As Ulster and Irish rugby fans, we want these innocent men reinstated and rightly allowed to resume their roles for both club and country.
“The IRFU should take note of the silent majority and not bow to the court of social media. We do not expect an answer to this letter, but we do expect them to play. Yours, Real fans standing up for the Ulster men.”
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